Stop means to prevent a knee action type wheel mount from lowering with respect to its vehicle frame



p 1955 A. o. PRILL STOP MEANS TO PREVENT A KNEE ACTION TYPE WHEEL MO FROM LOWERING WITH RESPECT TO ITS VEHICLE FRAME Filed May 25, 1952 FIG.I.

INVENTOR ALFRED O. PRILL ATTORN Y Sept. 13, 1955 A. o. PRlLL 2,717,786

sToP MEANS TO PREVENT A KNEE ACTION TYPE WHEEL MOUNT FROM LOWERING WITH RESPECT TO ITS VEHICLE FRAME Filed May 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3. a2

z INVENTOR ALFRED O. PRILL I (MW ATTORNZL STOP MEANS TO PREVENT A KNEE ACTION TYPE EL MOUNT FROM LOWERING WITH RE- SPECT TO ITS VEHICLE FRAME Alfred 0. Prill, Romulus, Mich.

Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,597

1 Claim. (Cl. 280-450) The present invention relates to a wheel lifting device for a vehicle and more particularly for a vehicle of the type employing what is commonly referred to as the knee action spring suspension.

in recent years with the stream lining of vehicle bodies the use of the bumper jack has become prevalent A with the result that the bodies of the vehicles must be raised to excessive heights before the spring suspensions will lift the tires out of contact with the ground. In many instances a bumper jack must be capable of lifting the bumper a distance of nearly twelve inches before the tire will clear the floor or ground. Such practice not only requires the use of excessively bulky jacks but also requires the expenditure of considerable labor in elevating the vehicle.

The primary object of this invention is to enable a vehicle to be lifted with a less bulky jack.

Another object is to conserve labor and avoid the necessity of exerting excessive and unnecessary lifting elfort on the frame of the vehicle in order to free the tire from contact with the ground.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a bolt carried by the frame of a vehicle having a spring suspension including an upper guide arm, yielding means carried by the frame and engaging the bolt for holding said bolt retracted, and manually actuated means carried by the bolt for moving it against the effort of the yielding means and projecting it into the path of movement of the upper guide arm.

Other features include a bolt guiding barrel adapted to be mounted on the frame of a conventional vehicle having an upper guide arm immediately in front thereof and housing the bolt for movement in a rectilinear path which intersects the path of movement of the upper guide arm.

Still other features include a guide plate mounted on the frame of the vehicle adjacent the front of the guide arm, a block mounted in the guide for movement in a rectilinear path into the path of movement of the guide arm, a plunger carried by the guide plate for movement in a rectilinear path adjacent the block, means carried by the plunger and connected to the block for moving the block, yielding means carried by the guide plate and engaging the plunger for holding the block out of the path of movement of the guide arm, and manually actuated means carried by the plunger for moving the plunger against the effort of the yielding means and advancing the block in its rectilinear path into a position between the frame and the guide arm.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through the frame of a vehicle, having a conventional spring suspension of the knee-action type showing this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

nited States Patent Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 4 is a side view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a view of the opposite side of the modified form of the invention, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a vehicle frame designated generally 10 comprises spaced side members 12 and cross members 14 equipped with conventional spring seats 16 in Which the upper ends of compression springs 18 are received. Pivotally connected to a cross member 14 for movement in arcuate paths below the frame 16 are the lower guide arms 20 of a conventional knee-action spring suspension designated generally 22.

Upper guide arms 24 are pivotally carried by the frame member 12 to move in arcuate paths above the frame 10 and pivotally connected to the upper and lower guide arms 24 and 20 are knuckle joints 26 carrying laterally extending spindles 28 upon which wheels 30 are mounted to rotate. The lower ends of the springs 18 bear on bearing plates 32 carried by the lower guide arms 20 to yieldingly support the frame It) on the wheels 30. The structure so far described is conventional with vehicles equipped with knee-action spring suspensions and forms no part of the invention except in combination therewith.

One embodiment of this invention comprises an elongated body 33 carrying adjacent one side an attaching plate or bracket 34- having openings 36 extending therethrough for the reception of bolts 38 by which the plate or bracket 34 is attached to a side bar 12 of the frame 10 slightly forwardly of the knee-action spring suspension 22. Extending longitudinally through the body 32 along an axis which intersects the arcuate path of movement of the adjacent upper guide arm 24 is a bore 40 into the end of which remote from the adjacent kneeaction spring suspension is threaded a plug 42 having an axial opening 44 extending therethrough.

Mounted for longitudinal sliding movement through the opening 44 is a push rod 46 and threadedly engaged with the push rod 46 within the bore 4ft is a bolt 43. The push rod 46 projects forwardly through the front end of the vehicle and is provided at the end remote from the bolt 48 with a cross-handle 59. It will thus be seen that when the handle 5%) is moved toward the rear of the vehicle, the bolt 48 will be moved into a position to intersect the path of movement of the upper guide arm 24.

Threadedly engaged with the push rod 46 intermediate the ends thereof and for longitudinal adjustment thereon is a stop 52 against which bears one end of a compression coiled spring 54, which encircles the push rod 46 between the plug 42 and stop 52. Said coiled spring 54 also bears against the plug 52 to yieldingly hold the bolt 48 retracted. It will thus be seen that the bolt 48 is normally held out of the path of movement of the upper guide arm 24 so that the operation of the spring suspension is in no way impaired during the normal operation of the vehicle.

In the modified form of the invention the vehicle frame 10 having spaced side bars 12' is equipped with the conventional knee-action spring suspensions designated generally 22 which include conventional upper guide arms 24 which move in arcuate paths above the side bars 12 in the conventional manner.

Mounted on the side bars 12' of the frame 10 slightly in advance of the upper guide arms 22' are vertically extending guide members 52 having elongated longitudinal slots 54 extending therethrough. Mounted for sliding movement on the side bars 12 adjacent the guide members 52 are channel shaped blocks 56 which are adapted "to be moved "rea'r'wardly'alc'ing theto'ps of the side bars into intersecting relation to the paths of movement of the. upper guide arms 24'. Formed intthe web of eachchannel shapedblock 56'isan opening 58 which the recesses heads'68? The push rods 66carry at their. endsmrnote from the heads 68" suitable knobs 70"and carried "by, the heads 681- and projecting laterally therefrom andthroughfthe slots 54and openings 58 are studs 72; It will thus'be seen that as the push rods 66 are movedlongitudinally through-the openings in the plugs 64 the-tblo ck's 56 will be moved in unison therewith. Threadedly engagedwith the studs 72'remote from the heads 68 are nuts 74, and encircling the studs 72 between the-blocks 56 and the nuts 74are compression coiled springs 76 which servevto yieldingly hold the blocks 56' in engagement with .the adjacent guide members 52.

Threadedly engaged with the push rods 66 for longitudinal adjustment thereon intermediate the ends thereof are steps 78. Compression coiled springs 80 encircle the push rods between the plugs 64 and the stops 78 to yieldingly hold the blocks 56'out of the path of movement of the upper guide arms 24;

In use when it is desired to elevate a wheel 30, pressure'is applied to a cross handle 50-or 70 'accordingto which type:of device is in use to move its respective bolt 48 or block 56 into the path of movement of the adjacent upper guide arm 24 or 24'. The bolt or block is held projected while the frame 10 or 10' is being elevated until such'tim'elastthe pressure of the spring 18 'or a correspondingtspring on its respective'upper guide arm is sufiicient to hold the bolt or block against movement under the influencetof the spring 54 or Silas the case may-be; the wheel 30in unison with the upward movement of the: frame 10 or 10 so as to reduce lifting efiort required This willcause the upper guide arm to lift thus elevated, it may be removed for replacement or repair and when this has been accomplished the wheel may be restored to the spindle 28 and the frame 10 or 1th lowered. As the frame descends and the wheel 36 again contacts the ground, itheiweight of the vehicle is transferredto. the-sp1;ing 18 which becomes slightly, compressed ums caus'i'rigih'e' lower"and-upper guide arms to move upwardly andtake'theyweight'oif'ofthe bolt 48 or block 56 as the case may be so that it will move under the influence of"its spring 54-or '80=out-of-the path of movement of itsrespectiveguide=arm 24 or 24.

While the present invention has been disclosed in connection with certainespeeifieembodiments thereof, it is to be understood that these are by way of example rather than by way of limitations, and that the invention is to be defined by the attendant claim which should be given a scope" as b'roatl as'is consistent'with the prior art.

Means for'lock'itfg a' suspensiomassembly of an automobile, said meansicomprisi'n'g'a'guide,'a block mounted insaid' guide for"move"ment in a rectilinear path into intersecting relation to'the' arcuatepath'ofthe suspension ass'embly,"a 'pushf'rodtarried "by the guide and offset from said' bldckandsep'arately connected thereto for moving said blo'clcirrth'e"rectilinearpath; a compression spring encircling the 'pushi'rod and'engaging the guide'for holding the"blocknorm'all'y out of Saidarcua'te' path ofsaid suspensionassembfyt" References Citeil inthefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,636 Collins Jan; 7, 1930 1,764,946 Flynnl June '17, 1930 1,996,839 Snyder". Apr. 9, 1935 2,061,025; Dwork Nov; 17, 1936 2,213,171 Putnam Aug. 27, 1940 2,413,289 Carter; Dec.31, 1946 2,475,478 Clairi- July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,968 Great-Britain Apr. 19, 1890 

